Plastic Masters of the World Unite --
All images copyright Katie Argyle/Out of My Mind 1991-2017.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

October Memoir and Backstory Challenge: Secrets #2

Market Day

Watching the crowds walk past my boothI amuse myself with the variety ofdogs and owners on parade.I even see a kid on a leash, and even that kid is enjoying the unseasonably warm October day.

I'm surrounded by my paintings and pins,cards and crafts.I've been in a market since the Spring of '92and I am used to not selling muchsometimes

On this Saturday of a holiday weekendI sell a mottled gold cat pin.Ten dollars total for the day,but the promise of bigger saleskeeps me hoping for the future.

Walking to the car after I tear down my boothI drag my canopy behind me with one hand,and cradle my two trays of greeting cards with the other.I am ready for this part of my day to be over.I feel the blue plastic containers slippingand as they are about to falla man from behind offers me helpWith relief I accept it.He takes my canopyand I carry the card trays securely with both hands.

"Are you a vendor?" I ask"Yes", he says."Did you have a good day today? The weather was great."

He stops.I stop.

Quietly he leans in toward me and whispers,"We made $2000.00 today!"

While telling me this his eyes fill with astonishment and his body barely stops itself from leaping into mid-air.(Good thing he's weighed down by my canopy, I muse.)

"That's fantastic!" I reply,as I'm never going to tell him what I am really thinking.

LOL!The ideal-selling-conditions algorithm is more complicated than meets the eye. one of my best days was when there was a problem with garbage pickup and I had a massive smelly heap of trash behind my spot. Perhaps it was generating pseudo human pheromones.

Printmakers' Connective GalleryOttawa, OnSeptember 8 - November 3, 2016Scenes from a CarRelief prints depicting the view from the front seat, passenger side of a 2010 Mazda 3.50/50: Against the Grain: New Works on WoodKatie Argyle and Timothy HuntAugust 1 - September 28th, 2014Burr House Gallery, Richmond Hill, ON

Perfect City Outdoor Art Exhibit:Are We There Yet? 8'x10' painted construction site panelSeptember 15th to undecided date in 2014Enterprise Blvd at Birchmount RoadMarkham, ON

We've Created a Monster!Recent Work by Tim Hunt and Katie ArgyleLinda Street Gallery, Ottawa, ONAugust 2 - December 30th, 2013

February 8th, 2012 6-7pmOn the Deck: Meet the Artists in ResidenceFree monthly gathering for our community offering a chance to informally learn about the artists’ past work, current focus and plans for their residency.607 Ashe Street, Residency Cottage Deck, Key West, FlOttawa City Hall Galleries

April 22nd to June 12, 2011

Ottawa, ON

Place and Circumstance: New Additions to the City of Ottawa's Fine Art Collection